Parachutes

Image via WikipediaOn April 10, 2000, I began my career at Amazon.com. It's been full of generic ups and generic downs, but I've been hankering for a serious change.

In the past, I've entertained a few career changes.

A little over four years ago, I took the classes to become a Real Estate Agent, and I even got a job offer. Looking back on it, I think it would have been worth trying then, but now... never. My newly developed distaste for home ownership and my absolute hatred for driving would make that career unbearable for me.

A year or two ago, I started enlisting a gardener to teach me how to garden. I still have a passion for plant names, and I like the idea of being employed by a nursery or greenhouse. Plants just make me happy. I like touching them. I like watching them grow. I love learning their names and their quirks. However being a for-hire gardener also involves driving, so that's right out.

Back in late 2006, I started baking bread regularly, and I entertained the notion of being a baker. However, remembering my days as a pseudo-baker at Perkins, I remembered the long hours and the early mornings and dissuaded myself of that idea. I do love the chemistry of baking. I love making the yeast work for me. I love reading multiple recipes and distilling them to their essence -- and yet learning why someone might twiddle this bit or that bit.

Most recently, I've been taking a ton of dog training courses. I confess that I have entertained the idea of dog trainer, but really... that career should be called "human trainer." I think with time, as Grete and I progress, I might reconsider this as a career, but for now, I'm still building up a knowledge base and some muscle memory and confidence. That career should be on the back burner, I think. I do love all things dog, and I wouldn't mind finding time to volunteer to work with dogs at a shelter. I just don't think I'm ready to train humans, ya know?

So what can we take away from this?

I want my next career to involve as little driving as possible. I LOATHE my car commute. A nice bus ride might be ok. Working from home might be ok. Walking would be ideal.

I find it easy to fall in love with learning new things. Learning real estate law, comparing bread baking recipes, memorizing new plant names, and learning new techniques for teaching my dog -- these are all new and fresh and fun. Turning these things around into a career -- I know it's possible, but I haven't found the right recipe yet.

More on this later -- right now I need to check on my first gluten-free loaf of bread!